Impossible Result
--- Alexia ---
"W-What did you do to me?!" she screamed, her voice trembling with fear and desperation.
I let out a chuckle, relishing in the sight of her unraveling.
Where did that cold, composed demeanor vanish to, I wonder?
I have a hunch as to why she's so easily losing control.
As mortals, deep down, we all know that one day we'll meet our end, no matter what.
What about an immortal instead?
Once they grasp the notion of their eternal existence, that mindset seeps in gradually, like a slow-acting poison, corrupting their thoughts.
No matter the pain they endure or the suffering they face, as long as their immortality remains unchallenged, they'll always regard you as beneath them.
Their arrogance knows no bounds.
The way she looked down on me, treating me as nothing more than a stepping stone, spoke volumes.
But what if they encounter something that not only eludes their understanding but also undermines their long-held beliefs?
Their entire worldview would crumble like a house of cards.
"That kind of expression suits you much better, pinkie bitch. Your demise will be slow, agonizing, and wrought with terror."
Magical Power, heed my call.
Kill that girl in the slowest and most painful way possible...
It would be quite epic to have a chant like that at my disposal, capable of scaring the shit out of them. Unfortunately, uttering those words aloud wouldn't have much effect.
That's not how it works anyway.
There is nothing to say, control, or end.
Once I fulfill the conditions, it's done.
I can 'request' Magical Power to do something for me, and it will carry out the task without fail, much like how the concept of life inevitably includes the concept of death.
Sadly, this has its own limitations.
Just like how the Earth's rotation creates a flow for Magical Power to follow, there needs to be something to sustain the flow against the larger one.
And that something is the force of one's own will.
Fray's method is so effective because he isn't directly involved in the process required to do this. He simply activates his skill, and that's it.
However, as a drawback, he can only achieve limited results with this power.
Any opponent who grasps the principles behind it could easily seize his control.
But he's not my main concern right now.
Seeing as she's still bleeding and her condition is deteriorating, even after I deliberately granted them time to retreat, it's evident they haven't grasped the situation.
Judging by how Hel has left her unattended, she likely intends to let her recover while focusing on eliminating me to halt whatever I'm doing.
Well, it's not a bad plan.
If I'm gone, it would indeed be enough to stop the current.
Loki is still grappling with the barrier, attempting to break through it.
But I'm not particularly concerned about his efforts right now.
My focus needs to remain sharp, especially with Jormungandr in the mix.
He's the real problem here.
From my understanding of him, Jormungandr isn't one to consider the capabilities of his opponent or the risks to his own immortality.
He's a straightforward warrior, driven solely by the desire for battle.
Dealing with such an unpredictable opponent is what I find most troublesome in this situation.
--- Hel ---
I now understand why whoever created this barrier sent her alone against us.
She is a monster whose power cannot be understood until you properly face her.
As I materialized next to her, I channeled all my Magical Power into my Scythe, imbuing it with a deadly aura that could affect her soul with just a touch.
I swung it at her with full force, expecting it to cut through her defenses like a hot knife through butter.
But to my surprise, she defended with her arm as the blade only met the first layer of her armor, which was imbued with Magical Power.
The moment it tried to pass through, my Magical Power was cut and cut again, until it couldn't continue anymore.
It was a surprising turn of events, but I quickly adjusted my plan.
Even though my attack didn't work as intended, I was not alone.
Jormungandr may not be able to hit her if she was free, but with me forcing her to stay in one place, there was no way she could get away, unless she wanted to be cut in half by me as a result.
His massive form loomed over the battlefield, his axe gleaming with deadly intent.
She stood her ground, her sword poised for defense, but I knew she was no match for the sheer force about to be unleashed.
My lips curled into a smirk.
This was exactly what I wanted.
With a thunderous roar, Jormungandr swung his axe, a blur of motion aimed straight at Alexia. In that split second, I felt the very essence of their Magical Powers colliding like a tempest.
The atmosphere trembled with raw power.
Jormungandr's force easily overwhelmed Alexia's defenses, shattering her sword into fragments that flew in all directions.
As a result, my body was bleeding from the several cuts.
The impact reverberated through the battlefield, sending shockwaves rippling outward. The ground quaked beneath my feet, and I struggled to maintain my balance as the force of the collision threatened to consume everything in its path.
Since I was blocking her, I also had to take part of the shockwave that she had to endure.
Blood was flowing down my lips, but I didn't care.
The chaos was far from over.
The terrifying shockwave propelled Alexia through the air like a ragdoll while I retreated, her body hurtling towards the edge of the barrier with alarming speed.
The sound of her impact against a nearby wall echoed in my ears, a sickening thud that sent a shiver down my spine.
If I was a second too late, I would be sharing that wall with her.
For a moment, a cloud of dust and debris enveloped the scene, obscuring my view. I held my breath, my heart pounding in my chest as I waited for the dust to settle.
I estimated that the impact had at least provoked grave injuries all over her body.
Even if she had regeneration like an immortal's, it would be impossible to recover so easily from such a direct blow.
...Or so I thought.
"That was unexpected. So there is someone who can use the power of Authorities here. Interesting."
I heard such muttering as after the dust cleared up, I could see she... appeared mostly unharmed.
How...?
For the first time in more than a millennium, I was left speechless.
"You didn't die, you're a good warrior!! Let's fight more!"
I heard Jormungandr's voice as I gritted my teeth.
Is that what's important, you monkey!?
---
Author's Note:
Sorry for not posting for a while :(, I was actually sick and I also had festivities to celebrate, which created this mess.
Thanks to anyone who's still with me <3.< p>
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